Life in Fascist Italy

Life in Mussolini'sItaly
was little different from other dictatorships which existed between 1918 and
1939. Nazi Germany and Stalin'sRussia were to use (and expand) on
developments that had been in existence in Fascist Italy
since the 1920's. People had little control over their personal life and the
state controlled as much of you as they could. Those who opposed the state were
suitably punished.

Dealing with opposition

All Italians were expected to obey Mussolini and his
Fascist Party. Authority was enforced by the use of the Blackshirts – the
nickname for the Fasci di Combattimenti. Those men in this unit were usually
ex-soldiers and it was their job to bring into line those who opposed Mussolini.
It was the Blackshirts who murdered the socialist Matteotti – an outspoken
critic of Mussolini. The motto of the Blackshirts was "Me ne frego" (I
do not give a damn")

Though they were probably less feared than Hitler’s
SS,
the Blackshirts did maintain an iron rule in Italy. One favoured way of making
people conform was to tie a ‘troublemaker’ to a tree, force a pint or two of
castor oil down the victim’s throat and force him to eat a live toad/frog etc.
This punishment was enough to ensure people kept their thoughts to themselves.
The murderous tactics used by the Gestapo and SS in Germany were rarely used in
Italy.

When Mussolini said:

"Italy wants peace and quiet, work and calm. I will
give these things with love if possible and with force if necessary."

the
message was clear – those who wanted to rock the boat would be suitably dealt
with.

Mussolini in uniform

Italy did have a secret police under Mussolini. It was
called the OVRA. It was formed in 1927 and was lead by Arturo Bocchini. The
death penalty was restored under Mussolini for serious offences. Yet up to
1940 only ten people had been sentenced to death. Only 4000 people were arrested
by the OVRA and sent to prison. This figure was massively overshadowed by the
actions of the Gestapo and SS in Nazi Germany.

Prisons were set up on remote Mediterranean islands such
as Ponza and Lipari. Condition for those sentenced to the prisons here were
crude and many anti-Fascists simply left Italy for their own safety.

Education in Fascist Italy

Adults who opposed Mussolini were dealt with harshly.
However, the children were the Fascists of the future and Mussolini took a keen
interest in the state’s education system and the youth organisations that
existed in Italy. Hitler used the same approach in
Nazi Germany.

Mussolini wanted a nation of warriors. Boys were expected
to grow into fierce soldiers who would fight with glory for Italy while girls
were expected to be good mothers who would provide Italy with a population that
a great power was expected to have.

Children were taught at school, that the great days of
modern Italy started in 1922 with the March onRome.
Children
were taught that Mussolini was the only man who could lead Italy back to greatness. Children were
taught to call him "Il Duce" and boys were encouraged to attend after
school youth movements. Three existed.

Organisation

Age Group

Uniform

Sons of the She Wolf

4 to 8

Black shirt

Balilla

8 to 14

Black shirt, black cap, shorts, grey
socks

Avanguardista

14 to 18

Same as Balilla except knickerbockers
instead of shorts.

Boys were taught that fighting for them was a natural
extension of the normal male lifestyle. One of the more famous Fascist slogans
was "War is to the male what childbearing is to the female." Girls
were taught that giving birth was natural – while for boys, fighting was the
same – natural.

Children were taught to obey those in charge. This was not an
unusual move in a dictatorship. Once the OVRA had dealt with those adults who
challenged the authority of the state, all future adults of Fascist Italy would
be model civilians and not a challenge to those in charge.

Boys took part in semi-military exercises while members of
the Balilla. They marched and used imitation guns. Mussolini had once said
"I am preparing the young to a fight for life, but also for the
nation."

Members of the Balilla had to remember the following:

"I believe in Rome, the Eternal, the mother of my
country……I believe in the genius of Mussolini…and in the resurrection of
the Empire."

The glory of the old Roman Empire always lurked in the
background of much of what children did. A child in a youth movements was a
"legionary" while an adult officer was a "centurion" – a throw back to the days of
when the Ancient Roman army dominated much of western Europe.

Women in Fascist Italy

As in Nazi
Germany, women were seen as having a specific
role in Fascist Italy. The task of young girls was to get married and have
children – lots of them. In 1927, Mussolini launched his Battle for Births.

Mussolini believed that his Italy had a smaller population
than it should have. How could it possibly be a power to reckon with, without a
substantial population and a substantial army? Women were encouraged to have
children and the more children brought better tax privileges – an idea Hitler
was to build on. Large families got better tax benefits but bachelors were hit
by high taxation.

Families were given a target of 5 children. Mothers who
produced more were warmly received by the Fascist government. In 1933, Mussolini
met 93 mothers at the Palazzo Venezia who had produced over 1300 children - an
average of 13 each!

Mussolini wanted Italy to have a population of 60 million
by 1950. In 1920, it stood at 37 million so his target was a tall order.
However, the Battle for Births was a failure. Though the population grew as
people were living longer due to better medical care, the birth rate actually
went down between 1927 and 1934.